No, this is NOT a roll of film! The frames of film are supposed to go sideways in relation to the holes. Clever; someone photo-shopped a new photo to look old. For just a split-second though, I thought I was looking at film. This picture caught my eye because of the nostalgic effect and the fact that I saw the movie "prairie home companion" today. Both made me think of "the good old days". However, when you think about it, those days may have not been all that good. We were younger, that much is certain, but along with youth came all the problems of it. Israel in the desert long for the past, for the "good" food they had in Egypt. They had forgotten they were slaves and found fault with the food in the here and now. They focused on their problems instead to remembering that their "bread from heaven" was itself a miracle. Sound familiar? Read on....Numbers 11:1-6 WEB (R)
(1) The people were complaining in the ears of Yahweh. When Yahweh heard it, his anger was kindled; and Yahweh's fire burnt among them, and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp.
(2) The people cried to Moses; and Moses prayed to Yahweh, and the fire abated.
(3) The name of that place was called Taberah, because Yahweh's fire burnt among them.
(4) The mixed multitude that was among them lusted exceedingly: and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, "Who will give us flesh to eat?
(5) We remember the fish, which we ate in Egypt for nothing; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlic;
(6) but now we have lost our appetite. There is nothing at all except this manna to look at."
Israel complained. Not anything new, but God was angry with them. Moses prayed and the fire stopped and then they complained about the food. Next, God said...
Numbers 11:16-20 WEB (R)
(16) Yahweh said to Moses, "Gather to me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people, and officers over them; and bring them to the Tent of Meeting, that they may stand there with you.
(17) I will come down and talk with you there. I will take of the Spirit which is on you, and will put it on them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, that you not bear it yourself alone.
(18) Say to the people, 'Sanctify yourselves against tomorrow, and you will eat flesh; for you have wept in the ears of Yahweh, saying, "Who will give us flesh to eat? For it was well with us in Egypt." Therefore Yahweh will give you flesh, and you will eat.
(19) You will not eat one day, nor two days, nor five days, neither ten days, nor twenty days,
(20) but a whole month, until it come out at your nostrils, and it is loathsome to you; because that you have rejected Yahweh who is among you, and have wept before him, saying, "Why did we come out of Egypt?" ' "
I can only imagine the stress on Moses right about now and that stress was showing...
Numbers 11:21-23 WEB (R)
(21) Moses said, "The people, among whom I am, are six hundred thousand men on foot; and you have said, 'I will give them flesh, that they may eat a whole month.'
(22) Shall flocks and herds be slaughtered for them, to be sufficient for them? Shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, to be sufficient for them?"
(23) Yahweh said to Moses, "Has Yahweh's hand grown short? Now you will see whether my word will happen to you or not."
So God gave them the flesh they wanted AND MORE!
Numbers 11:30-33 WEB (R)
(30) Moses went into the camp, he and the elders of Israel.
(31) A wind from Yahweh went out and brought quails from the sea, and let them fall by the camp, about a day's journey on this side, and a day's journey on the other side, around the camp, and about two cubits above the surface of the earth.
(32) The people rose up all that day, and all the night, and all the next day, and gathered the quails. He who gathered least gathered ten homers; and they spread them all abroad for themselves around the camp.
(33) While the flesh was yet between their teeth, before it was chewed, the anger of Yahweh was kindled against the people, and Yahweh struck the people with a very great plague.
Plague was the reward for Israel's hard heart and the dissatisfaction for the way God does things. Think about today. Do we complain about how bad things are and long for days of yesteryear? STOP, THINK and BE THANKFUL, because you may be more blessed than you realize. But whatever you do, don't complain... you might get more that you expected.